Thursday, February 3, 2011

Changing of the Guard

Good morning everyone! I get a kick out of reading the entries that Katy has been posting so diligently for the last two years. Thanks to the thoroughness of electronic media in bestowing me with the title of author of every previous entry, I must now provide the disclaimer that no, I am not responsible for the awesomeness which preceded me. I have big shoes to fill.

There’s a lot to talk about. Luckily, I like to talk. The music: a vast menagerie of styles, nationalities and personalities. Involving groups ranging in size from soloist to a cast of hundreds. Moments which are best experienced LIVE. Those CDs- they’re just not the same. The KSO’s output is but the tip of the musical iceberg, but what a glorious tip it is!

I really enjoyed Katy’s interviews with orchestra members and will try to keep up that good work. Although most of us are content to be adored onstage as classical music idols with superhuman musical powers, it may come as a pleasant surprise to you’uns that we require and desire the same things as “normal” people; e.g. food, clothing, shelter, chocolate and the beach.

It was a full week last week, with the violin doing most of the filling. Guest Concertmaster candidate Gabe Lefkowicz blazed through a well-balanced recital at Pellissippi State on Monday. Then on Thursday and Friday’s Masterworks concerts Midori set fire to Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Gabe volleyed back on solos in Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben with impressive zest. Saturday the 5th brings romantic tunes from Broadway and Hollywood on the Clayton Valentines Pops, and next weekend Massenet’s Manon takes the stage with the Knoxville Opera Company. Plenty to do indoors in this cold weather.

About Me

I joined the KSO in 1986 as a core cellist. I became its principal cellist in 2000. My 25 years in the KSO have provided me with a wealth of experiences from which to draw in blogging. I involve myself with many different kinds of music besides classical. If it sounds good, it IS good! You should know that all of the posts up to September 30, 2010, inclusive, were written by our first blogger, Katy. We can't seem to get Blogger to make this distinction, so bear that in mind.